the antiquities of the jews-1-第47节

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8。　〃O　you　illustrious　young　men！　we　have　of　our　own　at　home；　and
great　plenty　of　good　things　there；　together　with　the　natural；
affectionate　parents　and　friends；　nor　is　it　out　of　our　want　of
any　such　things　that　we　came　to　discourse　with　you；　nor　did　we
admit　of　your　invitation　with　design　to　prostitute　the　beauty　of
our　bodies　for　gain；　but　taking　you　for　brave　and　worthy　men；　we
agreed　to　your　request；　that　we　might　treat　you　with　such　honors
as　hospitality　required：　and　now　seeing　you　say　that　you　have　a
great　affection　for　us；　and　are　troubled　when　you　think　we　are
departing；　we　are　not　averse　to　your　entreaties；　and　if　we　may
receive　such　assurance　of　your　good…will　as　we　think　can　be　alone
sufficient；　we　will　be　glad　to　lead　our　lives　with　you　as　your
wives；　but　we　are　afraid　that　you　will　in　time　be　weary　of　our
company；　and　will　then　abuse　us；　and　send　us　back　to　our　parents；
after　an　ignominious　manner。〃　And　they　desired　that　they　would
excuse　them　in　their　guarding　against　that　danger。　But　the　young
men　professed　they　would　give　them　any　assurance　they　should
desire；　nor　did　they　at　all　contradict　what　they　requested；　so
great　was　the　passion　they　had　for　them。　〃If　then；〃　said　they；
〃this　be　your　resolution；　since　you　make　use　of　such　customs　and
conduct　of　life　as　are　entirely　different　from　all　other　men；
（12）　insomuch　that　your　kinds　of　food　are　peculiar　to　yourselves；
and　your　kinds　of　drink　not　common　to　others；　it　will　be
absolutely　necessary；　if　you　would　have　us　for　your　wives；　that
you　do　withal　worship　our　gods。　Nor　can　there　be　any　other
demonstration　of　the　kindness　which　you　say　you　already　have；　and
promise　to　have　hereafter　to　us；　than　this；　that　you　worship　the
same　gods　that　we　do。　For　has　any　one　reason　to　complain；　that
now　you　are　come　into　this　country；　you　should　worship　the　proper
gods　of　the　same　country？　especially　while　our　gods　are　common　to
all　men；　and　yours　such　as　belong　to　nobody　else　but　yourselves。〃
So　they　said　they　must　either　come　into　such　methods　of　divine
worship　as　all　others　came　into；　or　else　they　must　look　out　for
another　world；　wherein　they　may　live　by　themselves；　according　to
their　own　laws。

9。　Now　the　young　men　were　induced　by　the　fondness　they　had　for
these　women　to　think　they　spake　very　well；　so　they　gave
themselves　up　to　what　they　persuaded　them；　and　transgressed　their
own　laws；　and　supposing　there　were　many　gods；　and　resolving　that
they　would　sacrifice　to　them　according　to　the　laws　of　that
country　which　ordained　them；　they　both　were　delighted　with　their
strange　food；　and　went　on　to　do　every　thing　that　the　women　would
have　them　do；　though　in　contradiction　to　their　own　laws；　so　far
indeed　that　this　transgression　was　already　gone　through　the　whole
army　of　the　young　men；　and　they　fell　into　a　sedition　that　was
much　worse　than　the　former；　and　into　danger　of　the　entire
abolition　of　their　own　institutions；　for　when　once　the　youth　had
tasted　of　these　strange　customs；　they　went　with　insatiable
inclinations　into　them；　and　even　where　some　of　the　principal　men
were　illustrious　on　account　of　the　virtues　of　their　fathers；　they
also　were　corrupted　together　with　the　rest。

10。　Even　Zimri；　the　head　of　the　tribe　of　Simeon　accompanied　with
Cozbi；　a　Midianitish　women；　who　was　the　daughter　of　Sur；　a　man　of
authority　in　that　country；　and　being　desired　by　his　wife　to
disregard　the　laws　of　Moses；　and　to　follow　those　she　was　used　to；
he　complied　with　her；　and　this　both　by　sacrificing　after　a　manner
different　from　his　own；　and　by　taking　a　stranger　to　wife。　When
things　were　thus；　Moses　was　afraid　that　matters　should　grow
worse；　and　called　the　people　to　a　congregation；　but　then　accused
nobody　by　name；　as　unwilling　to　drive　those　into　despair　who；　by
lying　concealed；　might　come　to　repentance；　but　he　said　that　they
did　not　do　what　was　either　worthy　of　themselves；　or　of　their
fathers；　by　preferring　pleasure　to　God；　and　to　the　living
according　to　his　will；　that　it　was　fit　they　should　change　their
courses　while　their　affairs　were　still　in　a　good　state；　and　think
that　to　be　true　fortitude　which　offers　not　violence　to　their
laws；　but　that　which　resists　their　lusts。　And　besides　that；　he
said　it　was　not　a　reasonable　thing；　when　they　had　lived　soberly
in　the　wilderness；　to　act　madly　now　when　they　were　in　prosperity；
and　that　they　ought　not　to　lose；　now　they　have　abundance；　what
they　had　gained　when　they　had　little：　…　and　so　did　he　endeavor；
by　saying　this；　to　correct　the　young　inert；　and　to　bring　them　to
repentance　for　what　they　had　done。

11。　But　Zimri　arose　up　after　him；　and　said；　〃Yes；　indeed；　Moses；
thou　art　at　liberty　to　make　use　of　such　laws　as　thou　art　so　fond
of；　and　hast；　by　accustoming　thyself　to　them；　made　them　firm；
otherwise；　if　things　had　not　been　thus；　thou　hadst　often　been
punished　before　now；　and　hadst　known　that　the　Hebrews　are　not
easily　put　upon；　but　thou　shalt　not　have　me　one　of　thy　followers
in　thy　tyrannical　commands；　for　thou　dost　nothing　else　hitherto；
but；　under　pretense　of　laws；　and　of　God；　wickedly　impose　on　us
slavery；　and　gain　dominion　to　thyself；　while　thou　deprivest　us　of
the　sweetness　of　life；　which　consists　in　acting　according　to　our
own　wills；　and　is　the　right　of　free…men；　and　of　those　that　have
no　lord　over　them。　Nay；　indeed；　this　man　is　harder　upon　the
Hebrews　then　were　the　Egyptians　themselves；　as　pretending　to
punish；　according　to　his　laws；　every　one's　acting　what　is　most
agreeable　to　himself；　but　thou　thyself　better　deservest　to　suffer
punishment；　who　presumest　to　abolish　what　every　one　acknowledges
to　be　what　is　good　for　him；　and　aimest　to　make　thy　single　opinion
to　have　more　force　than　that　of　all　the　rest；　and　what　I　now　do；
and　think　to　be　right；　I　shall　not　hereafter　deny　to　be　according
to　my　own　sentiments。　I　have　married；　as　thou　sayest　rightly；　a
strange　woman；　and　thou　hearest　what　I　do　from　myself　as　from　one
that　is　free；　for　truly　I　did　not　intend　to　conceal　myself。　I
also　own　that　I　sacrificed　to　those　gods　to　whom　you　do　not　think
it　fit　to　sacrifice；　and　I　think　it　right　to　come　at　truth　by
inquiring　of　many　people；　and　not　like　one　that　lives　under
tyranny；　to　suffer　the　whole　hope　of　my　life　to　depend　upon　one
man；　nor　shall　any　one　find　cause　to　rejoice　who　declares　himself
to　have　more　authority　over　my　actions　than　myself。〃

12。　Now　when　Zimri　had　said　these　things；　about　what　he　and　some
others　had　wickedly　done；　the　people　held　their　peace；　both　out
of　fear　of　what　might　come　upon　them；　and　because　they　saw　that
their　legislator　was　not　willing　to　bring　his　insolence　before
the　public　any　further；　or　openly　to　contend　with　him；　for　he
avoided　that；　lest　many　should　imitate　the　impudence　of　his
language；　and　thereby　disturb　the　multitude。　Upon　this　the
assembly　was　dissolved。　However；　the　mischievous　attempt　had
proceeded　further；　if　Zimri　had　not　been　first　slain；　which　came
to　pass　on　the　following　occasion：　…　Phineas；　a　man　in　other
respects　better　than　the　rest　of　the　young　men；　and　also　one　that
surpassed　his　contemporaries　in　the　dignity　of　his　father；　（for
he　was　the　son　of　Eleazar　the　high　priest；　and　the　grandson　of
＇Aaron＇　Moses's　brother；）　who　was　greatly　troubled　at　what　was
done　by　Zimri；　he　resolved　in　earnest　to　inflict　punishment　on
him；　before　his　unworthy　behavior　should　grow　stronger　by
impunity；　and　in　order　to　prevent　this　transgression　from
proceeding　further；　which　would　happen　if　the　ringleaders　were
not　punished。　He　was　of　so　great　magnanimity；　both　in　strength　of
mind　and　body；　that　when　he　undertook　any　very　dangerous　attempt；
he　did　not　leave　it　off　till　he　overcame　it；　and　got　an　entire
victory。　So　he　came　into　Zimri's　tent；　and　slew　him　with　his
javelin；　and　with　it　he　slew　Cozbi　also；　Upon　which　all　those
young　men　that　had　a　regard　to　virtue；　and　aimed　to　do　a　glorious
action；　imitated　Phineas's　boldness；　and　slew　those　that　were
found　to　be　guilty　of　the　same　crime　with　Zimri。　Accordingly　many
of　those　that　had　transgressed　perished　by　the　magnanimous　valor
of　these　young　men；　and　the　rest　all　perished　by　a　plague；　which
distemper　God　himself　inflicted　upon　them；　so　that　all　those
their　kindred；　who；　instead　of　hindering　them　from　such　wicked
actions；　as　they　ought　to　have　done；　had　persuaded　them　to　go　on；
were　esteemed　by　God　as　partners　in　their　wickedness；　and　died。
Accordingly　there　perished　out　of　the　army　no　fewer　than　fourteen
（13）　＇twenty…four＇　thousand　at　this　time。

13。　This　was　the　cause　why　Moses　was　provoked　to　send　an　army　to
destroy　the　Midianites；　concerning　which　expedition　we　shall
speak　presently；　when　we　have　first　related　what　we　have　omitted；
for　it　is　but　just　not　to　pass　over　our　legislator's　due
encomium；　on　account　of　his　conduct　here；　because；　although　this
Balaam；　who　was　sent　for　by　the　Midianites　to　curse　the　Hebrews；
and　when　he　was　hindered　from　doing　it　by　Divine　Providence；　did
still　suggest　that　advice　to　them；　by　making　use　of　which　our
enemies　had　well　nigh　corrupted　the　whole　multitude　of　the
Hebrews　with　their　wiles；　till　some　of　them　were　deeply　infected
with　their　opinions；　yet　did　he　do　him　great　honor；　by　setting
down　his　prophecies